Sunday, August 31, 2008
HERE WE GO!!!
We have had a tornado warning already. The wind just picked up and it started POURING! By 6 in the morning we should have at least 40 mph winds. From the last we heard the eye should hit us around 3 or 4 tomorrow afternoon, so we from this point on will be getting worse and worse.
To Those Concerned...
For those of you that have sent text, called, IM, etc. If it makes you feel any better, we took the kids to the park (after staying home all day yesterday to finish preparing) and to eat some Mexican for lunch. Our town is hopping. It seems as though most people are staying put. There is lots of preperations being taken care of at businesses and houses and everyone is very busy, but if they have not left yet, there window of oppurtunity is about out....
We are glued to the news. We are finally getting some info as to what to expect where we are (most of the info we have been getting is for coastal areas). It sounds like WE should expect the worst Monday night into Tuesday. The boys school has closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so we will enjoy....I mean, HAVE....a extra long holiday weekend (with little to no fun). I will continue to try to keep everyone updated on what is going on and how we are fairing.
We are glued to the news. We are finally getting some info as to what to expect where we are (most of the info we have been getting is for coastal areas). It sounds like WE should expect the worst Monday night into Tuesday. The boys school has closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so we will enjoy....I mean, HAVE....a extra long holiday weekend (with little to no fun). I will continue to try to keep everyone updated on what is going on and how we are fairing.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Catching Up....At Some Point
So, my plan was to catch up on the blog this week. I have been WAY too busy with hurricane preperations! Also, I was trying to get the corporate house cleaned and keys turned in. We officially only have TWO houses now, instead of THREE!!
Hurricane preperations are much more time consuming (and financially consuming for the first one) than I EVER would have anticipated. And I never thought I would spend our long Labor Day weekend preparing for a hurricane. But, this is our life now, right?
I went to a gas station this morning just up the road from the house. I pulled in and there were cars everywhere, but the pumps had bags over them and signs that said they were out of gas. I walked in and the cashier was looking out the window and nodding her head. There was a gas truck out pumping gas into the ground. I asked if all of those people were waiting for gas. She said they all followed the gas truck in and they were all sitting there waiting. Paul went back later for some goodies for all of us. There were no cars getting gas, but a maintanance truck that had some stuff pulled out of the ground. The attendent told Paul that right after the truck filled their tanks their pumps went out. So, although they HAVE gas, they can't PUMP gas.
LSU had their first game of the year...HERE! They moved it up to this morning instead of this evening, but still...we have evacuations going on. I-10 is bad enough with just day to day traffic. You throw in a big game (which they won BIGTIME) and some major evacuations, and, well, we chose to stay in today!!
The storm is already much stronger than they anticipated. They were anticipating a 2 or 3 at this point and it is at a 4 working up to a 5. We are on the edge of who is getting evacuated and noone in our neighborhood has left - which makes us feel better about staying. We spent the day getting EVERYTHING that was in our "garage" into our little storage room off the garage. It is stuffed with everything from tools to bikes/scooter/wagons to gasoline, to trash, to generators. The smell...NASTY!!
At this point I feel as though we are as prepared as we can possibly be. I am ready to get it over with. For some unknown reason, Isaac's teacher is letting the kids watch the news about the hurricane. I am very mixed on this. As of Friday, Isaac knew as much about the storm as we did. All of the boys are talking about it a lot. After all of the tornados and flooding this spring, they definently take it serious now, but don't seem overly apprehensive about it. Tomorrow may begin another story. I think we are supposed to start getting some wind and rain tomorrow afternoon/evening but the worst is supposed to be late Monday into Tuesday.
Caleb's biggest concern is school Tuesday. His principal announced to the kids that school was open Tuesday. I keep explaining that if the hurricane is here, there will NOT be school. And, if for some idiotic reason there is school, he would NOT be going!! Most of the colleges and universities have already announced they will be closed - along with coastal schools - but places further north won't announce until probably Monday evening.
Mom is getting a good laugh (although she is worried crazy) about the fact that I was her child that was deathly afraid of thunderstorms and here I am about to sit out a hurricane. While I have "outgrown" the fear of thunderstorms, and actually grown to enjoy them (and even sat out some tornados in our bathroom alone with the four boys), I - at this point - am not overly nervous (although frequently second guessing if this is the right thing to do). We are glued to the television and the Jeep is gassed up if we need to run. We plan to take it because it can go through higher water! Part of why we chose to buy here (other than the schools) was because it got us further away from the coast and the river. Hopefully that will all work in our favor.
If I have internet during the storm, I will try to blog through it. It helped calm the boys when I did that with the tornadoes because they sat and watched the computer instead of concentrating on what was happening outside.
I will keep you all updated as we go through this journey!!
Hurricane preperations are much more time consuming (and financially consuming for the first one) than I EVER would have anticipated. And I never thought I would spend our long Labor Day weekend preparing for a hurricane. But, this is our life now, right?
I went to a gas station this morning just up the road from the house. I pulled in and there were cars everywhere, but the pumps had bags over them and signs that said they were out of gas. I walked in and the cashier was looking out the window and nodding her head. There was a gas truck out pumping gas into the ground. I asked if all of those people were waiting for gas. She said they all followed the gas truck in and they were all sitting there waiting. Paul went back later for some goodies for all of us. There were no cars getting gas, but a maintanance truck that had some stuff pulled out of the ground. The attendent told Paul that right after the truck filled their tanks their pumps went out. So, although they HAVE gas, they can't PUMP gas.
LSU had their first game of the year...HERE! They moved it up to this morning instead of this evening, but still...we have evacuations going on. I-10 is bad enough with just day to day traffic. You throw in a big game (which they won BIGTIME) and some major evacuations, and, well, we chose to stay in today!!
The storm is already much stronger than they anticipated. They were anticipating a 2 or 3 at this point and it is at a 4 working up to a 5. We are on the edge of who is getting evacuated and noone in our neighborhood has left - which makes us feel better about staying. We spent the day getting EVERYTHING that was in our "garage" into our little storage room off the garage. It is stuffed with everything from tools to bikes/scooter/wagons to gasoline, to trash, to generators. The smell...NASTY!!
At this point I feel as though we are as prepared as we can possibly be. I am ready to get it over with. For some unknown reason, Isaac's teacher is letting the kids watch the news about the hurricane. I am very mixed on this. As of Friday, Isaac knew as much about the storm as we did. All of the boys are talking about it a lot. After all of the tornados and flooding this spring, they definently take it serious now, but don't seem overly apprehensive about it. Tomorrow may begin another story. I think we are supposed to start getting some wind and rain tomorrow afternoon/evening but the worst is supposed to be late Monday into Tuesday.
Caleb's biggest concern is school Tuesday. His principal announced to the kids that school was open Tuesday. I keep explaining that if the hurricane is here, there will NOT be school. And, if for some idiotic reason there is school, he would NOT be going!! Most of the colleges and universities have already announced they will be closed - along with coastal schools - but places further north won't announce until probably Monday evening.
Mom is getting a good laugh (although she is worried crazy) about the fact that I was her child that was deathly afraid of thunderstorms and here I am about to sit out a hurricane. While I have "outgrown" the fear of thunderstorms, and actually grown to enjoy them (and even sat out some tornados in our bathroom alone with the four boys), I - at this point - am not overly nervous (although frequently second guessing if this is the right thing to do). We are glued to the television and the Jeep is gassed up if we need to run. We plan to take it because it can go through higher water! Part of why we chose to buy here (other than the schools) was because it got us further away from the coast and the river. Hopefully that will all work in our favor.
If I have internet during the storm, I will try to blog through it. It helped calm the boys when I did that with the tornadoes because they sat and watched the computer instead of concentrating on what was happening outside.
I will keep you all updated as we go through this journey!!
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Hello!!!!!
We are still alive!! I am going through some major internet - and BLOGGING - withdraw!! You never know how much you depend on the internet until you don't have it! I use it as a phone book, I get my news from it, my weather - which is kinda important right now - I also use it for pre-shopping for big ticket items, which unfortunately this week, we have made several of!!
I am at the corporate house cleaning it before we turn the key in. Internet, phone, cable, etc should be on tomorrow at the new house. I don't know how long we will have it, the way things are looking right now with weather though.
Yesterday they announced that Gustav was going to hit the Gulf as a pretty major hurricane (they are saying Cat. 3 or 4 hurricane). Looking at the projected tracks last night, it appears to be making a beeline for US! If it stays on the tracks they are predicting (with a LOT of uncertainity as normal with these things), Baton Rouge is likely to take a direct hit. There are watches from Destin, Florida to Houston, TX. If it makes it to the gulf, we are in for some nasty weather WHEREEVER it actually makes landfall.
We spend HOURS last night looking for a generator. We had to buy a lawnmower this week, plus the normal stuff you have to buy when you move (trashcans, cleaning supplies, etc), so I was not planning on buying one until next month. Mother nature changed our minds. We have heard through several people that if our electricity (through a coop) goes out, we should expect it to be out for at least days. The first three stores we went into last night, we watched as people (smartly) protected their generator as they stood in line to purchase the LAST one. That is right...every store we watched the last generator being purchased. It was to the point where Paul was letting me out, I was running in the store and he would get the kids and come. We were so close everytime. We had a Lowe's and a Sears left to go to. I went running into Lowe's and there was ONE generator sitting on the floor. My butt was GLUED to the sucker! Paul came in, looked at the generator displays and saw a cheaper one that was just like the one I was sitting on. An employee came over to get a fork lift and I asked if they had anymore of the cheaper one (while my butt is still glued to the one on the floor). He said he thought there was ONE left. Paul went with him, I stayed on the generator until I KNEW we had one! There were three left overhead, and there were already two people waiting. If we had been one minute later....
Paul texted me that we were safe when he was sure we had one. I saw a man looking for a rolling cart, and I graciously gave him the cart I was holding and told him I had been saving that generator (that my butt was glued too) just for him. He was VERY appreciative.
All of that to say, we have a generator. We have a window air conditioner. We have extension cords. We have a weather radio and we have laptops (as long as we have internet access!!). If we do NOT get hit by this storm, we are now prepared. This was all stuff we planned on getting soon, just not a week and a half after moving in!!
Oh, by the way, even though we are not in a flood area and were told we did not need flood insurance, we spent the less than $1 a day on the most coverage we could get. So we are even ready for that!
People here do not kid around with this stuff anymore. They heard "storm possibly heading our way" and generators were GONE! I am sure air conditioners will be gone early this morning (there were only a few left at 9 last night). Luckily, the Lowes we went to was by a mall and not by neighborhoods. I think that is why all the other stores were out so quick.
In other news, the house is "unpacked" but we still have a lot of settling to do. It helps to have all of the boxes gone. We have a "garage" but it does not have doors. It was a carport and the previous owners finsihed it out, except for the doors. He made a breeze-way through it though so we will have to get double garage doors for the front and a single door for the back. When we unloaded we loaded all of the boxes in the "garage". That would have been great, but Faye paid us a visit. Even though it did not rain IN the garage (it did a times but most of the boxes would have been fine) the humidity was so high that everything in the boxes was feeling wet. So, I had to move them all inside and unpack QUICKLY. Again, Mother Nature can be very encouraging!!
Caleb still hates school, although we are losing the "beginning-of-the-year" attitude that we have EVERY year. He has lots of homework every night (except Friday) and does not get to talk much at school.
Isaac LOVES school. He is doing great, although he too has homework everynight, so he is adjusting to that. He is actually enjoying homework though because he LOVES the one on one time with it.
Bryce still hates school in the morning and likes it in the afternoon (sound familiar). He is not a morning person (sound familiar) and does not do well with us making him get up. He has made several friends already. He has also gotten in trouble several times already. He has quite the "imagination" (HMMM, meaning he lies a lot and says he is "playing" or "forgot" when you catch him). He mentioned something yesterday night about visiting the principal (after coming home with frowny faces on his behaviour chart). I asked if he was sent to the principal and he said "Yes to see what she does. That is where bad kids go". Then when we pushed if he went because he was in trouble he said he had never been. Sounds fishy to me!!
This Monday I made them start riding the bus. I was really back and forth on whether or not to let them. Isaac and Bryce were excited, Caleb was really nervous. He says bullies ride buses. Because we have spent so much time in the car this summer (bi-weekly trips to Arkansas, looking at houses, back and forth to school, etc) Andrew has grown to HATE the car (boy, he is in the WRONG family). I was spending almost 2 hours a day SITTING in lines at schools to drop off/pick up kids. Andrew was spending those two hours a day SCREAMING!! Not crying, just top-of-his-lungs SCREAMING. This was not making for good evenings for ANYONE. So, after hearing that Isaac and Bryce's bus had an aide on it, so the bus driver was not the only adult, that the school's had a zero-tolerance with kids causing problems on the buses, and that the kids got picked up and dropped off at the end of our driveway, I decided we were giving buses a try. So far, no problems! Caleb is not loving it, but he said it was fine and he would ride it. The other two are enjoying it. They get water to drink on the way home and snacks (what more could a five and six year old ask for)! Andrew is much happier, which is making MAMA MUCH HAPPIER (amazing what a 1 year old squeal for hours a day can do to your sanity)!
Daddy is traveling in a couple of weeks for a week. This will be his second time gone in over three months! Not bad! And they are Monday-Thursday or Friday trips. It is so nice having him home helping with dinner and homework.
Well, I will try to catch up over the next few days. Internet should be on early tomorrow. I have pictures, videos, stories etc. to come.
I am at the corporate house cleaning it before we turn the key in. Internet, phone, cable, etc should be on tomorrow at the new house. I don't know how long we will have it, the way things are looking right now with weather though.
Yesterday they announced that Gustav was going to hit the Gulf as a pretty major hurricane (they are saying Cat. 3 or 4 hurricane). Looking at the projected tracks last night, it appears to be making a beeline for US! If it stays on the tracks they are predicting (with a LOT of uncertainity as normal with these things), Baton Rouge is likely to take a direct hit. There are watches from Destin, Florida to Houston, TX. If it makes it to the gulf, we are in for some nasty weather WHEREEVER it actually makes landfall.
We spend HOURS last night looking for a generator. We had to buy a lawnmower this week, plus the normal stuff you have to buy when you move (trashcans, cleaning supplies, etc), so I was not planning on buying one until next month. Mother nature changed our minds. We have heard through several people that if our electricity (through a coop) goes out, we should expect it to be out for at least days. The first three stores we went into last night, we watched as people (smartly) protected their generator as they stood in line to purchase the LAST one. That is right...every store we watched the last generator being purchased. It was to the point where Paul was letting me out, I was running in the store and he would get the kids and come. We were so close everytime. We had a Lowe's and a Sears left to go to. I went running into Lowe's and there was ONE generator sitting on the floor. My butt was GLUED to the sucker! Paul came in, looked at the generator displays and saw a cheaper one that was just like the one I was sitting on. An employee came over to get a fork lift and I asked if they had anymore of the cheaper one (while my butt is still glued to the one on the floor). He said he thought there was ONE left. Paul went with him, I stayed on the generator until I KNEW we had one! There were three left overhead, and there were already two people waiting. If we had been one minute later....
Paul texted me that we were safe when he was sure we had one. I saw a man looking for a rolling cart, and I graciously gave him the cart I was holding and told him I had been saving that generator (that my butt was glued too) just for him. He was VERY appreciative.
All of that to say, we have a generator. We have a window air conditioner. We have extension cords. We have a weather radio and we have laptops (as long as we have internet access!!). If we do NOT get hit by this storm, we are now prepared. This was all stuff we planned on getting soon, just not a week and a half after moving in!!
Oh, by the way, even though we are not in a flood area and were told we did not need flood insurance, we spent the less than $1 a day on the most coverage we could get. So we are even ready for that!
People here do not kid around with this stuff anymore. They heard "storm possibly heading our way" and generators were GONE! I am sure air conditioners will be gone early this morning (there were only a few left at 9 last night). Luckily, the Lowes we went to was by a mall and not by neighborhoods. I think that is why all the other stores were out so quick.
In other news, the house is "unpacked" but we still have a lot of settling to do. It helps to have all of the boxes gone. We have a "garage" but it does not have doors. It was a carport and the previous owners finsihed it out, except for the doors. He made a breeze-way through it though so we will have to get double garage doors for the front and a single door for the back. When we unloaded we loaded all of the boxes in the "garage". That would have been great, but Faye paid us a visit. Even though it did not rain IN the garage (it did a times but most of the boxes would have been fine) the humidity was so high that everything in the boxes was feeling wet. So, I had to move them all inside and unpack QUICKLY. Again, Mother Nature can be very encouraging!!
Caleb still hates school, although we are losing the "beginning-of-the-year" attitude that we have EVERY year. He has lots of homework every night (except Friday) and does not get to talk much at school.
Isaac LOVES school. He is doing great, although he too has homework everynight, so he is adjusting to that. He is actually enjoying homework though because he LOVES the one on one time with it.
Bryce still hates school in the morning and likes it in the afternoon (sound familiar). He is not a morning person (sound familiar) and does not do well with us making him get up. He has made several friends already. He has also gotten in trouble several times already. He has quite the "imagination" (HMMM, meaning he lies a lot and says he is "playing" or "forgot" when you catch him). He mentioned something yesterday night about visiting the principal (after coming home with frowny faces on his behaviour chart). I asked if he was sent to the principal and he said "Yes to see what she does. That is where bad kids go". Then when we pushed if he went because he was in trouble he said he had never been. Sounds fishy to me!!
This Monday I made them start riding the bus. I was really back and forth on whether or not to let them. Isaac and Bryce were excited, Caleb was really nervous. He says bullies ride buses. Because we have spent so much time in the car this summer (bi-weekly trips to Arkansas, looking at houses, back and forth to school, etc) Andrew has grown to HATE the car (boy, he is in the WRONG family). I was spending almost 2 hours a day SITTING in lines at schools to drop off/pick up kids. Andrew was spending those two hours a day SCREAMING!! Not crying, just top-of-his-lungs SCREAMING. This was not making for good evenings for ANYONE. So, after hearing that Isaac and Bryce's bus had an aide on it, so the bus driver was not the only adult, that the school's had a zero-tolerance with kids causing problems on the buses, and that the kids got picked up and dropped off at the end of our driveway, I decided we were giving buses a try. So far, no problems! Caleb is not loving it, but he said it was fine and he would ride it. The other two are enjoying it. They get water to drink on the way home and snacks (what more could a five and six year old ask for)! Andrew is much happier, which is making MAMA MUCH HAPPIER (amazing what a 1 year old squeal for hours a day can do to your sanity)!
Daddy is traveling in a couple of weeks for a week. This will be his second time gone in over three months! Not bad! And they are Monday-Thursday or Friday trips. It is so nice having him home helping with dinner and homework.
Well, I will try to catch up over the next few days. Internet should be on early tomorrow. I have pictures, videos, stories etc. to come.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Closing Day!!
Today is closing day.
We were not sure if it would actually be today! But it all worked out and today is the day. I am leaving in about 15 minutes to go get kids from school and head to Baton Rouge.
I will try and post more tonight (between packing). We are going to Arkansas tomorrow and moving Saturday and Sunday - so I won't be blogging this weekend.
Next time I am on here, we will have....
TWO.....
HOUSES.....
:(
We were not sure if it would actually be today! But it all worked out and today is the day. I am leaving in about 15 minutes to go get kids from school and head to Baton Rouge.
I will try and post more tonight (between packing). We are going to Arkansas tomorrow and moving Saturday and Sunday - so I won't be blogging this weekend.
Next time I am on here, we will have....
TWO.....
HOUSES.....
:(
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
SO Behind
I PLANNED on catching up the blog today - Bryce's first day of school....one kid at home....
We all know what happens when I plan.
I got to drive to Beaumont instead.
Dropped the kids off at school. Drove to Beaumont to go to the bank (that is right, ALL the way to Beaumont just to go to the bank!), got back just in time to pick kids up. Went to do a final walk-through on the house, to the store to pick up something quick for dinner.
13 hours in the car...and AJ was NOT happy!!
I will try to do some catching up tomorrow (no promises though).
We all know what happens when I plan.
I got to drive to Beaumont instead.
Dropped the kids off at school. Drove to Beaumont to go to the bank (that is right, ALL the way to Beaumont just to go to the bank!), got back just in time to pick kids up. Went to do a final walk-through on the house, to the store to pick up something quick for dinner.
13 hours in the car...and AJ was NOT happy!!
I will try to do some catching up tomorrow (no promises though).
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Smart-A**
This morning I was getting on to Caleb for something and he said Bryce told him to do it. I asked if Bryce told him to jump off a bridge would he do it.
"It depends, is there water under the bridge?"
"It depends, is there water under the bridge?"
Thursday, August 07, 2008
House Inspection/Update
Last week we had the house inspection done. We had a GREAT inspector, very thorough with his work - to the point of checking to see if EVERY outlet in the house worked. To top it all off, we had a very professional report THAT NIGHT!! He sent us an email with a username and password so we could access it online and then also mailed the report. There were minor things on the list, that was it. There was a gas smell that the gas company is coming tomorrow to look at. The only thing that sucks is that the owners told us they were going to touch-up paint the house. It is a relocation and State Farm owns the house. Now they are saying they are not doing anything cosmetic to the house - including painting. They also won't let us in early just to paint because it is a liability. So, I get to patch holes (they have huge sheetrock screws/anchors still in the wall throughout the house) and paint with furniture in the house. YUCK!
The good news is there is a chance we could close as early as Tuesday. It was sent to underwriting yesterday. It usually takes 48-72 hours. If they have everything they need, we could possibly close the day the title company gets it or the next day. Everyone knows the situation with us and they are all working hard to get us in asap!
Keep your fingers crossed!
The good news is there is a chance we could close as early as Tuesday. It was sent to underwriting yesterday. It usually takes 48-72 hours. If they have everything they need, we could possibly close the day the title company gets it or the next day. Everyone knows the situation with us and they are all working hard to get us in asap!
Keep your fingers crossed!
The Poor Tree
The kids were hard at play for a couple of hours this evening with the little girl next door. They were pulling acorns out of the tree and then throwing them over the fence. They were happy. They were playing. NOONE was complaining. So, the tree got taken advantage of for a little peace for me! :)
Sorry tree.
On another note, Bryce gave the little girl some flowers this evening, and they are getting along VERY well. This is why I did not want the kids making a bunch of friends this summer - now they have to move away from their friend again.
They also spent a lot of time asking about the oldest son, that is autistic. Tomorrow we will have to have a talk about what autism is. They were not at all rude and the mother tried to explain things to them, but it is a difficult thing to explain to kids and they were not trying to pay too close attention. They kept asking why he doesn't talk. Caleb several times went and gave him some toys - which he took and played with. He went up to the mother and asked if he wanted to go play. She explained that he usually prefers to play by himself, but if he wanted to play he would go out and play with them - which he did for a little bit. The boys were very polite about their curiosity - which made me very proud of them!
Ants Everywhere!
Andrew was playing in the back this evening. He was sitting playing with a toy and when he got up and started walking to me he was picking at his arm. I went to look and he had a couple of ants on him. I picked them all off and next time I saw him his arm looked like this:
It was just the one arm, but I guess he was sitting next to an ant pile. They are horrible here - inside and out. Our catfood is kept in a plastic container. They some how managed to get inside the container. Paul went to feed the cat and more ants than food came out. We have sugar ants in the kitchen and ants upstairs. I had to take all of AJ's clothes out of the closet (his clothes were on a bottom rod) because they had ants all in them. They have put out ant poison and sprayed outside, but I honestly think it may be making them worse INSIDE.
You could tell it was bothering AJ - he was picking at his arm a lot. He would try and pick off each swollen bite. But he never cried or squealed. Just calmly walked to me while trying to wipe and pick off ants. This is one time I wish he HAD screamed!!!
It was just the one arm, but I guess he was sitting next to an ant pile. They are horrible here - inside and out. Our catfood is kept in a plastic container. They some how managed to get inside the container. Paul went to feed the cat and more ants than food came out. We have sugar ants in the kitchen and ants upstairs. I had to take all of AJ's clothes out of the closet (his clothes were on a bottom rod) because they had ants all in them. They have put out ant poison and sprayed outside, but I honestly think it may be making them worse INSIDE.
You could tell it was bothering AJ - he was picking at his arm a lot. He would try and pick off each swollen bite. But he never cried or squealed. Just calmly walked to me while trying to wipe and pick off ants. This is one time I wish he HAD screamed!!!
AJ Potty's More
This post was from last week - I forgot to post it though.
"AJ peepeed in the potty!" That is our song! He did again this morning. He still likes to sit on it, but he seems to prefer to stand up to pee. He will sit on the potty for quite a while, stand up, pee and then sit back down on the potty. Unfortunately for him, he is WAY too short for the toilet so he can't stand and use the potty. But, I found this:
That is right, a potty training urinal - it even flushes!!
Seriously, I am not pushing him on the potty training too hard. He isn't even 16 months. But, I LOVE that he is SO excited about the potty. I don't think as long as he is showing interest, no matter what his age, I should do anything but encourage him.
We got him some underwear - he LOVES wearing them. He has always preferred nudity over clothing, so underwear instead of a diaper is as close as he can get to nude!
"AJ peepeed in the potty!" That is our song! He did again this morning. He still likes to sit on it, but he seems to prefer to stand up to pee. He will sit on the potty for quite a while, stand up, pee and then sit back down on the potty. Unfortunately for him, he is WAY too short for the toilet so he can't stand and use the potty. But, I found this:
That is right, a potty training urinal - it even flushes!!
Seriously, I am not pushing him on the potty training too hard. He isn't even 16 months. But, I LOVE that he is SO excited about the potty. I don't think as long as he is showing interest, no matter what his age, I should do anything but encourage him.
We got him some underwear - he LOVES wearing them. He has always preferred nudity over clothing, so underwear instead of a diaper is as close as he can get to nude!
Wednesday, August 06, 2008
It's a Small World...
We got new neighbors. Being in corporate housing you don't know what to expect when new people are moving in. The people that were there (we are in a duplex - so this is the attached unit)were three or four guys that come home in the evening and smoke and drink. They were nice enough - we spoke to them a few times, but we always felt like we were disturbing them. Not that anyone was doing anything, but come on, I live with five guys. Frequently, to be heard you have to be LOUDER than they are - so it makes for a loud house.
So, our new neighbors moved in while we were in Arkansas last weekend. Monday, after running errands, I met the mother. It is a family - Dad, Mom, a seven year old boy, five year old girl and 18 month old boy (named DREW!!). The seven year old is autistic, so the boys don't really get to play with him, but the little girl - WOW she can talk (and very loud). Andrew and Drew actually play well together (they both suck the thumb on the same hand - SO cute). What is really ironic is that they are from Maumelle, Arkansas - which is where Paul worked (hence, the small world).
I don't feel as bad about the noise level over on our side now, but still would LOVE it to be quieter!!
So, our new neighbors moved in while we were in Arkansas last weekend. Monday, after running errands, I met the mother. It is a family - Dad, Mom, a seven year old boy, five year old girl and 18 month old boy (named DREW!!). The seven year old is autistic, so the boys don't really get to play with him, but the little girl - WOW she can talk (and very loud). Andrew and Drew actually play well together (they both suck the thumb on the same hand - SO cute). What is really ironic is that they are from Maumelle, Arkansas - which is where Paul worked (hence, the small world).
I don't feel as bad about the noise level over on our side now, but still would LOVE it to be quieter!!
Do You Ever....
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Guess what I feel like?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Do you ever feel like a broken record?
Guess what I feel like?
Dance Party
Since Drew-Drew is so into dancing, I got him two Fisher Price cds last week - Disco Dance Party and Giddy Up - Country Sing Along. He loves listening to music, especially fast paced songs (like disco).
The disco cd has the hokey pokey on it. I sit on the floor and make his body parts do what the song says. He LOVES it. By half way through the song the first time, he was shaking it all about on his own. I think he could possibly have a favorite song now.
He also loves our Brian Kinder cd, that is one of Bryce's favorite (along with Jack Johnson's soundtrack to Curious George).
The boy has some rhythm in his blood!! I swear he is going to be playing the harmonica professionally by the time he is five. He still loves playing it with Daddy.
The disco cd has the hokey pokey on it. I sit on the floor and make his body parts do what the song says. He LOVES it. By half way through the song the first time, he was shaking it all about on his own. I think he could possibly have a favorite song now.
He also loves our Brian Kinder cd, that is one of Bryce's favorite (along with Jack Johnson's soundtrack to Curious George).
The boy has some rhythm in his blood!! I swear he is going to be playing the harmonica professionally by the time he is five. He still loves playing it with Daddy.
Tuesday, August 05, 2008
TS Edouard
Good afternoon from us here in Louisiana where it is a breezy (WINDY) 78 degrees. That is right - 78 degrees in AUGUST!!! It is raining, we are getting the edge of TS Edouard but it is nice and comfy sitting on the back porch!
I will be happy if we never come any closer to a hurricane!
I will be happy if we never come any closer to a hurricane!
Monday, August 04, 2008
School/House Update
I talked to a guy on the school board here to see if the boys would be able to start school Monday, even if we had not closed. Because it is the number one school in the state, there are a lot of people that try to get their kids in, so it was obvious that he did not like doing this. After explaining exactly what the situation was, and that we had not sold our house (he wanted us to bring proof that we were moving from Arkansas - like paperwork from the sell of our house). I told him that we had not sold our house, but that we were buying a house anyway. I also had to explain that I don't have the boys final report cards (the school did not send them even though I gave them a self-addressed, stamped envelope like they told me to. Basically, I have NOTHING that they really want other than birth certificates and social security cards. I don't even have shot records and I don't have a fax machine (Daddy is out of town this week).
He told me to come in in the morning and he would look over the purchase agreement and report cards and ok a temporary enrollment for the boys. He agreed that it would not be in the boys best interest to miss the first week. He also pointed out that if we have to start the boys in another school, it would probably mean a different uniform (YES--a MAN thinking like this!!), and did not think that would be fair for us.
So, the boys will be starting schools Monday. I will be driving 35 to 45 minutes (depending on traffic) four times a day.
OUCH!!!
YUCK!!!
That hurts and sucks to say!
PLEASE let us close at least on time!!
He told me to come in in the morning and he would look over the purchase agreement and report cards and ok a temporary enrollment for the boys. He agreed that it would not be in the boys best interest to miss the first week. He also pointed out that if we have to start the boys in another school, it would probably mean a different uniform (YES--a MAN thinking like this!!), and did not think that would be fair for us.
So, the boys will be starting schools Monday. I will be driving 35 to 45 minutes (depending on traffic) four times a day.
OUCH!!!
YUCK!!!
That hurts and sucks to say!
PLEASE let us close at least on time!!
Bryce Goes to the Dr.
Bryce went to the dr today for his five year old check-up, so that I was sure he was ready for enrollment. He weighs 38 pounds. Pretty impressive for him! He is just over 36 1/2 inches tall. Right at average for heigth and about 25% for weight - long and skinny!
We did not think he had to have shots, but turns out he had to have four. Two in his leg and one in each arm. He did great! Not a tear - just a couple of flinches! I think that is his stubborness coming out because his brothers kept talking about how he did not cry when he got his flu shot and what a "big boy" he is about shots. Again, one of those times when it is great to have competitive kids.
He is in great shape and ready to start school!
We did not think he had to have shots, but turns out he had to have four. Two in his leg and one in each arm. He did great! Not a tear - just a couple of flinches! I think that is his stubborness coming out because his brothers kept talking about how he did not cry when he got his flu shot and what a "big boy" he is about shots. Again, one of those times when it is great to have competitive kids.
He is in great shape and ready to start school!
Sunday, August 03, 2008
Trouble Brewing
I had heard last week that there was a storm brewing off the coast of Africa (which is where the storms that turn in to hurricanes that hit here). There was talk about whether or not it would turn into a hurricane.
I watch this now for obvious reasons - the fact that it now has the potential to directly effect us, but there is another reason at the moment. Paul talked to our realtor Friday about the fact that the homeowners insurance person she gave me to call was taking a little longer to get us some quotes. It is VERY important that we get this quickly, because we are trying to close on the house so quickly. She said that if there is a potential for a hurricane, they will stall writing insurance and if it gets in the gulf, they suspend writing policies.
Friday, things looked okay. I got online a while ago and looked at the news because it appeared that a bad storm had gone through Louisiana and Mississippi. On our way home there were branches down all over the place. Instead of finding info on that, I found where Tropical Depression 5 turned into Tropical Storm Eduardo today. It formed pretty close to Louisiana at the mouth of the Mississippi. It appears that it is headed to Texas - with the possibility of becoming a hurricane, BUT keep your fingers crossed that we will get our insurance in place BEFORE hand, otherwise we might not close on time! :(
I watch this now for obvious reasons - the fact that it now has the potential to directly effect us, but there is another reason at the moment. Paul talked to our realtor Friday about the fact that the homeowners insurance person she gave me to call was taking a little longer to get us some quotes. It is VERY important that we get this quickly, because we are trying to close on the house so quickly. She said that if there is a potential for a hurricane, they will stall writing insurance and if it gets in the gulf, they suspend writing policies.
Friday, things looked okay. I got online a while ago and looked at the news because it appeared that a bad storm had gone through Louisiana and Mississippi. On our way home there were branches down all over the place. Instead of finding info on that, I found where Tropical Depression 5 turned into Tropical Storm Eduardo today. It formed pretty close to Louisiana at the mouth of the Mississippi. It appears that it is headed to Texas - with the possibility of becoming a hurricane, BUT keep your fingers crossed that we will get our insurance in place BEFORE hand, otherwise we might not close on time! :(
Trip to Arkansas
We had a last minute trip to Arkansas this weekend. We knew we would not make it down again to do the mowing, etc until we go to move. On top of that, when we DO go move, we will only have Saturday and Sunday to load and unload everything (plus 14 hours of driving).
I spent about 8 hours Saturday and about 3 hours this morning packing. I have the kitchen about 95% done. That is where I spent the most time - wrapping and packing everything. Andrew's room is done, Bryce's is done, Caleb and Isaac's is done. There bathroom is also done. Our bedroom is done, bathroom/closet still has a little more to do. Then there is the utility room. The garage....OH MY!!! We did not even touch it - so that will be a nightmare!
Tonight when we got home, we had corn on the cob with our dinner. Andrew LOVED the corn on the cob. He kept trying to eat the ends, so I had to hold it for him, but he liked eating it off the cob.
Another busy weekend. We are SO ready to have things calm down and get back to "normal".
I spent about 8 hours Saturday and about 3 hours this morning packing. I have the kitchen about 95% done. That is where I spent the most time - wrapping and packing everything. Andrew's room is done, Bryce's is done, Caleb and Isaac's is done. There bathroom is also done. Our bedroom is done, bathroom/closet still has a little more to do. Then there is the utility room. The garage....OH MY!!! We did not even touch it - so that will be a nightmare!
Tonight when we got home, we had corn on the cob with our dinner. Andrew LOVED the corn on the cob. He kept trying to eat the ends, so I had to hold it for him, but he liked eating it off the cob.
Another busy weekend. We are SO ready to have things calm down and get back to "normal".
Friday, August 01, 2008
Daddy's Little Wingman
Daddy spent last weekend putting a rack and some trail lights on his Jeep. One evening he had to run to Walmart for some parts. He took Andrew with him and made some joking comments about how I had better hope they come home because Andrew is such a GREAT wingman!
When they got inside Paul stopped close to the flowers to buckle Andrew in the cart. Andrew started making his grunting noises at pointing at them. Paul took him up to it and Andrew picked out some roses for me. They are gorgeous.
By the way, if he wasn't a good wingman before the flowers....Paul said that Andrew held the roses while they were getting what they needed and he was getting lots of "oohhs and aaahhhs" from ladies at the store.
When they got inside Paul stopped close to the flowers to buckle Andrew in the cart. Andrew started making his grunting noises at pointing at them. Paul took him up to it and Andrew picked out some roses for me. They are gorgeous.
By the way, if he wasn't a good wingman before the flowers....Paul said that Andrew held the roses while they were getting what they needed and he was getting lots of "oohhs and aaahhhs" from ladies at the store.
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